1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to vehicles and, more particularly, to rear steering wheeled toy vehicles which are adapted for use by small children.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art has proposed toy vehicles for children in which the propelling i.e. pedalling and steering functions are both effected through a single front wheel with a pair of rear wheels being rotatably mounted on the vehicle in rigid, parallel relationship at all times. Such tricycles are unsatisfactory because the pivotal mounting of the front wheel interferes with the pedalling function since the front wheel must be turned at a sharp angle when making a turn. Moreover, the handle bars which move with the pivoting front wheel turn to an objectionable position when the front wheel is turned.
To overcome such disadvantages, the prior art has proposed rear steering tricycles wherein the front wheel is used for pedalling only, and wherein the steering function is effected by pivoting a rear trailer housing in which a single rear axle having a rear wheel at each of its opposite ends is journalled. However, such rear steering tricycles have proven unsatisfactory because the pivot pin, which defines the pivot axis about which the trailer housing is turned, is subject to forces tend generated during such turning of the trailer housing which tend to stress and shear the pivot pin. Moreover, such forces tend to urge the pivot pin out of the socket in which it is journalled, thereby deforming and otherwise destroying the socket itself so that the socket can no longer reliably rotatably support the pivot pin.
It has further been proposed in the prior art to constitute the frame and the trailer housing of such tricycles of synthetic plastic material. However, such plastic constituted parts are generally not strong enough to reliably resist deformation caused not only by the aforementioned forces generated during turning of the trailer housing, but also due to the weight of a rider who sits on the frame.
In order to strengthen the plastic frame, the prior art has also proposed mounting a one-piece bent brace member having a generally horizontal arm mounted on the frame, and an opposite generally vertical arm unitary with the horizontal arm and serving as the pivot pin. However, this construction has not proven satisfactory in use because the force of the weight of the rider as well as the shearing forces generated during turning of the trailer housing both combine to stress and shear the bent brace member in the region of its bend, i.e. intermediate its horizontal and vertical arms. Fracture of the brace member makes the toy vehicle unsuitable for further use.
In order to accommodate the body attitude of a rider to the pedals used for driving the front wheel of the tricycle, it is known to adjust the position of the seat portion relative to the fixed front wheel. However, this movement of the seat portion is disadvantageous because the seat portion tends to loosen from its position on the frame during use. This causes the seat portion to rock, thereby generating a highly unsatisfactory and hazardous condition.